10 year old son intrusive thoughts

[NAdz1984]

Hi guys just after some advice.
Recently my 10 year old son finds the need to confess everything to me, he says he feels like he needs to. He also keeps getting thoughts in his head which cause him anxiety e.g saying rude words or saying something bad about someone. This has really been upsetting him and he is actually crying saying that he wants to be normal. Does anyone have any experience of this? It breaks my heart to see him like this.

Sending you OP.

I just wanted to say that Intrusive thoughts can be very upsetting but they are normal. Most people have Intrusive thoughts and that's all they are - thoughts.

I’m a therapist, sounds like he has some anxiety which presents as instructive thoughts (sometimes referred to as Pure O, the obsession part of OCD) there’s a good book called “overcoming intrusive thoughts” which might help you as a parent understand how to help him. Everyone has intrusive thoughts but people who aren’t particularly anxious don’t tend to worry about them in the same way. I’d reassure him that everyone has funny thoughts sometimes but they don’t mean anything and it’s best not to give them too much attention

@Thischarmlessgirl would u recommend getting professional advice/help or is it something that he may grow out of?

Not yet but I’d read up on it
There’s a good book for kids too - What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD (What-to-Do Guides for Kids) www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1591478057/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_G03SG3ZCTRPE5PK9G8YX?tag=mumsnetforu03-21
If it persists then I’d get a referral either through the GP or privately to nip it in the bud.

My son has had intrusive thoughts on and off and I would definitely get the two books suggested above. Have them both and found they were really helpful. If you read the ‘overcoming intrusive thoughts’ book yourself you can pull out the relevant parts and explain it to ds in a way he will understand.

Hi I’ve just stumbled on your thread. It’s identical to my nearly 10 year old girl. Are you able to let me know if your son got better and how you approached things? So upsetting for us as parents. Thank you for any pointers.